Million-Dollar Mindset Produces Success in First Year as a GarageExperts® Franchise Owner
What does it take to succeed in your first year as a GarageExperts® Franchisee? The short answer is to have a million-dollar mindset and the drive to win every day.
For the GarageExperts® Team, a million-dollar mindset is an owner who builds their business with a long-term outlook. This means working ON their business, not just IN their business. Embracing this philosophy means thinking big by bringing on salespeople and lead installers who will help grow your business through daily operations. Putting the right person in the right seat can make a huge difference in the way a business runs. By delegating tasks to responsible and trustworthy employees, owners can focus on additional opportunities to bring in more business and further their brand reputation within their local community.
Dennis Smith, GarageExperts® of Seattle, is one of those franchise owners that has demonstrated his million-dollar mindset since day one as a franchise owner. He chose the GarageExperts® franchise because he wanted to have his own business as well as be a part of a manufacturer/installer. GarageExperts® was the only solution that met those criteria.
Dennis became a franchise owner in 2021 with the goal of generating $450,000 in sales his first year. He not only met this goal but exceeded it by generating $1 million. Dennis attributes his success to three main things:
- His extreme comfort with the GarageExperts® products lines. It’s critical to know the products you are using and understand your target customers.
- His willingness to take on any project size and scope. He wasn’t picky about what installations he wanted to work on for his business. By taking on any installation you learn your strengths and weaknesses as an installer and a business owner. Also, each area of the country is different in what works for one installation versus another. You have to take into consideration numerous elements including weather, climate, home styles, and the way buildings are constructed.
- He enjoys training people in this business and believes the time and effort put into training a team truly makes a difference.
With 10 employees, Dennis has quickly built a successful business model. He believes having employees with specific duties is the only way to scale a business. Dennis explains, “There are so many responsibilities that need to be met – installations, marketing, quality control, project management, employee management, and much more. If you’re only focusing on a couple of roles, you can’t take care of the other parts of the business and you can’t grow successfully.”
Marketing is also a big part of Dennis’ business. He likes to diversify his marketing dollars to hit a wider target audience. He utilizes magazines, billboards, Google PPC, Facebook, door hangers, and signs to name a few. He also sees the value in networking and meets with realtors, builders, and mortgage brokers in his community.
“GarageExperts® has a great support system both through Corporate and through the Franchise Network. They offer the tools, training, and support to help you be successful. There is a ton of opportunity to grow my business,” said Dennis.
There will always be room to grow and improve as a business expands. The key is to keep your eye on the future while managing the present. Keeping a million-dollar mindset will help you stay on track to reach and exceed your goals.
